London-bound Air India Dreamliner crashes with passengers 242 on board

An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, flight AI171, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed moments after departing from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2025.

The flight, en route to London Gatwick, went down between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM local time, less than a minute after take-off.

India's civil aviation authority confirmed that 242 people were on board crashed plane. Air India said passengers on crashed plane included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

Air India in a statement said: “Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, June 12, 2025. We are currently ascertaining the details and will provide further updates as soon as possible.”

According to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, the aircraft’s signal was lost at 10:08 AM local time at an altitude of 625 feet, seconds after departing at 09:50 AM. The flight was scheduled to arrive in London at 18:25 local time.

Visuals from the crash site show thick plumes of grey and black smoke billowing from the ground near the airport.

Emergency response teams, including at least two dozen ambulances, have been deployed, with several injured individuals transported to nearby hospitals. Local police have cordoned off the area and diverted traffic to facilitate rescue operations.

Fire service officials confirmed to AFP that an aircraft had crashed but provided no further details. An AFP reporter noted significant smoke rising over the airport vicinity.

Air India reiterated its commitment to sharing updates as more information becomes available.